Steve Madden Is Now Selling Those Stretchy Platform Sandals You Had in the ’90s

It’s the mid-1990s, Manhattan, and the first day of my new school in which I knew not a single person. As a teen prone to fairly preppy, opinion-free clothing, I wore tapered light jeans, a navy tucked-in Sam and Libby tee with a giant gold sun on the front, and flatter-than-flat brown suede oxfords. I remember thinking my outfit was—to use nineties parlance—the bomb diggity.

Until I rolled up to homeroom and saw what appeared to be every other girl decked out in pieces that have come to define the era: stretchy spaghetti strap tops à la Amanda Beckett in Can’t Hardly Wait, mini backpacks, baby tees under flared jumper dresses, and on their feet, these weird stretchy black flatform slides I learned were by someone named Steve Madden.

I remember having a strong reaction to the slightly gothy vibe and begged my mom for a pair. I adored how the thick nylon band hugged the front of my foot like a socially acceptable pair of Aqua Socks, how the flatform gave my 5'2" stature some height, and how damn cool they looked with the flared Mavi jeans I proudly bought myself with some birthday money.

Two decades later, the nineties have officially permeated every aspect of today’s culture, from television to fashion and beauty, so I can’t say I’m surprised that Steve Madden is revamping the sandal, which has become a very real symbol of the decade's twofold approach to fashion that managed to combine a kind of clunky awkwardness with minimalism.

And while there are pairs to be had on eBay and Etsy, and the chances of you stumbling upon the sandal at any Salvation Army or Goodwill is almost 100 percent, the Slinky—now available for preorder—does have a few slight updates, mostly to the sole, which is now totally flat and more matte. The shoes are clearly a nod to the originals, without looking quite as dated authentic.

I just texted my mom to ask her how much she thought we paid for my original pair, and she guessed a very specific "$25.99–$27.99"—way less than $69.99, which is how much they're going for in 2017. But, if I've learned anything during the recent nineties fashion boom, it's that nostalgia don't come cheap.

Still, the upgraded versions are definitely cute and would look good with stuff I have in my closet for spring—knee-length slipdresses, wide-leg pants, frayed denim culottes, and, yes, cropped flared jeans, although my Mavis are long, long gone.